Experts Guide

Welcome to RRC's Guide to Experts. Click a name in the list below to see more detailed information about an individual's areas of expertise. When you've identified the expert(s) you need, please contact the communications staff at 215.576.0800, ext. 307. We are happy to help you obtain information and interviews in a timely fashion to meet your deadline.

Experts:

Barbara E. Breitman, MSW, LCSW, adjunct instructor, director of training for Spiritual Direction Program 

Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz, RRC president, Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Presidential Professor

Reena Sigman Friedman, Ph.D., associate professor of modern Jewish history

S. Tamar Kamionkowski, Ph.D., vice president and dean of academic affairs, associate professor of Bible

Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, Ph.D., director, multifaith studies and initiatives; associate professor of religious studies

Rabbi Sarra Lev, Ph.D., co-chair, department of rabbinic civilization; associate professor of rabbinics

Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, director, social justice organizing program

Rabbi Vivie Mayer, director, Mekhinah-Year program and Bet Midrash

Rabbi Jacob Staub, Ph.D., chair, department of medieval Jewish civilization; professor of Jewish philosophy and spirituality; director, Jewish spiritual direction program; acting director, Kolot: The Center for Jewish Women's and Gender Studies

Elsie Stern, Ph.D., associate professor of Bible

David Teutsch, Ph.D., director, Center for Jewish Ethics, The Louis and Myra Wiener Professor of Contemporary Jewish Civilization Chair, Department of Contemporary Jewish Civilization

Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., vice president for governance, adjunct instructor

Barbara E. Breitman, MSW, LCSW

Adjunct instructor, director of training for Spiritual Direction Program
E-mail addresses: Bahirachava@aol.com

Areas of expertise: Jewish spiritual direction, Jewish pastoral counseling, psychology and religion, spiritual and Jewish dimensions of psychotherapy. 

Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz

RRC president, Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Presidential Professor
Telephone: 215.576.0800, ext. 129
E-mail addresses: dehrenkrantz@rrc.edu

Areas of expertise: leadership, role of the rabbi, Reconstructionist Judaism, congregational dynamics, family education, Jewish spirtuality, Jewish community, rabbinical education, Jewish denominationalism, biblical narrative.

Reena Sigman Friedman, Ph.D.

Associate professor of modern Jewish history
Telephone: 215.576.0800, ext. 251
E-mail address: friedm6@aol.com

Areas of expertise: modern Jewish history, American Jewish history, and Jewish women's history (modern period).

S. Tamar Kamionkowski, Ph.D.

Vice president and dean of academic affairs, associate professor of Bible
Telephone: 215.576.0800, ext. 138
E-mail address: tkamionk@rrc.edu

Areas of expertise: Hebrew Bible, feminist approaches to biblical studies, Jewish biblical theology, Ten Commandments, biblical origins of Jewish holidays, Mesopotamian mythology, prophetic literature, Hebrew Bible and pedagogy, rabbinical school education, rabbinical school curriculum. 

Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, Ph.D.

Director, multifaith studies and initiatives, associate professor of religious studies
Telephone: 215.576.0800, ext. 255
E-mail address: nancykreim@gmail.com

Areas of expertise: interfaith relations, Muslim-Jewish encounter in America, parenting and spirituality, Jewish spiritual autobiography, contemporary theology, constructive theology

Rabbi Sarra Lev, Ph.D.

Co-chair, department of rabbinic civilization; Associate professor of rabbinics; Acting director, Kolot: The Center for Jewish Women's and Gender Studies
Telephone: 215.576.0800, ext. 257
E-mail address: slev@rrc.edu

Areas of expertise: gender and Judaism, Rabbinic literature, pedegogies of text study

Rabbi Mordechai Liebling

Director, social justice organizing program
Telephone: 21215.576.0800, ext. 147
E-mail address: mliebling@rrc.edu

Areas of expertise: Judaism and social justice, congregational systems, leadership training, role of the rabbi, Judaism and socially responsible investing

Rabbi Vivie Mayer

Director, Mekhinah-Year program and Bet Midrash
Telephone: 215.576.0800, ext. 132
E-mail address: vmayer@rrc.edu

Areas of expertise: creative innovation in traditional Jewish practice; the variety of Jewish spiritual paths and practices; sacred chanting.

Rabbi Jacob Staub, Ph.D.

Chair, department of medieval Jewish civilization; Professor of Jewish philosophy and spirituality; Director, Jewish spiritual direction program
Telephone: 215.576.0800, ext. 119
E-mail address: jstaub@rrc.edu

Areas of expertise: Medieval Jewish Philosophy, Medieval Jewish History, Biblical Commentaries, Jewish Spiritual Direction, Jewish Meditation and Contemplative Practices, Reconstructionist Judaism, Queering Jewish Studies

Elsie Stern, Ph.D.

Associate professor of Bible
Telephone: 215.576.0800, ext. 254
E-mail address: estern@rrc.edu

Areas of expertise: Hebrew Bible, History of biblical interpretation, Bible in Jewish culture,  ancient Israelite and early Jewish civilization, Judaism and social justice

Rabbi David Teutsch, Ph.D.

Director, Center for Jewish Ethics; The Louis and Myra Wiener Professor of
Contemporary Jewish Civilization; Chair, Department of Contemporary Jewish
Civilization
Telephone: 215.576.0800, ext. 253
E-mail address: dteutsch@rrc.edu

Areas of expertise: Jewish ethics, including: bioethics, speech and internet ethics, family and sexual ethics, organizational and business ethics, clergy ethics, contemporary American Jewish demography, organizations and policy Jewish liturgy, and role of the rabbi.

Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D.

Vice president for governance and instructor
Telephone: 215.576.0800, ext. 113
E-mail address: dwaxman@rrc.edu

Areas of expertise: American Jewish history, 20th century American Jewish life, and post-war Jewish experience.